The Alternative Reality
by xxLittleMissVixen
Summary: Johnny falls, Kaitlin cries. It feels like her world is eroding beneath her feet, slowly, but surely. Will she be in Newport long enough to fix it all? What will happen to Johnny? [JxK][RxM]
1. Just Breathe

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**A/N**: These are my thoughts on what might have happened during the scene in February 2nd's **_The Cliffhanger_**, where Ryan is at the top of the cliff and Kaitlin and Marissa are at the bottom, on the beach. It might turn out to be a bit angsty, but I'll try hard not to make it so.

This will be set, indefinitely, in Kaitlin's POV.

Enjoy!

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**The Alternative Reality**

Chapter One

"Johnny, just come _down_!" She cried, pulling her jacket tighter around her, her cellphone clutched tightly between her meticulously manicured fingers. She watched, for just a moment more, as Johnny tipsily took another swig of the rum. She winced, biting down on her bottom lip, praying and hoping against prayer and hope that they'd come soon.

And they did.

Before she knew it, her sister, Marissa was behind her, looking just as terrified as she did.

"Marissa we _have _to get him down! He's drunk, and he'll fall!" She wailed, looking at her sister with nearly watery, hazel eyes.

"Kaitlin, don't worry, Ryan's going to get him. _Stay here_." It was almost like Marissa had read her mind; she was on the verge of going up there herself and dragging him back down the _safe_ way.

She inhaled sharply, attempting to calm herself. It didn't work. Her mind was racing, and at this point, her thumb was pressed softly against the '9' button on her cell. She lifted her gaze, staring once again up in the direction where Johnny was shouting.

Ryan was there now, gently coaxing Johnny to walk away. She couldn't hear what exactly was Ryan was saying, but with Johnny shouting in a drunken fashion, she could hear every angst-ridden reply that passed his lips.

"Oh, looook, here's Ryan, come to save me again! Are you going to save me in front of Marissa again, so that she'll be in love with you even more?" Johnny slurred, taking another, long swig from the bottle.

"Johnny, please come down!" Kaitlin whined, her eyebrows knitted in concern. "You'll hurt yourself!"

He didn't hear her.

Ryan said something more to Johnny, trying in a desperate, yet calm attempt to get him away from the edge of the cliff.

Johnny refused. In fact, he backed up even more. In mere seconds he lost his footing, and the soft soil beneath his Converse gave way. He leaned back, unpurposefully, his arms out while he tried to catch his balance.

Kaitlin's breath caught in her throat, choking her up. Her heart was beating a mile-a-minute, her gaze locked on his distant figure. "JOHNNY!" She wailed, but it was not use.

Johnny fell backwards, dropping the bottle of rum as he did so. Marissa closed her eyes tightly, unwilling to see the grim scene before her.

Kaitlin didn't. Her eyes were wide and filling with tears, as she watched his form arch gracefully, falling at a slow pace, before hitting the ground some ways before her with a large blow. Everything seemed to move in slow motion from then on.

Marissa had turned away, her face buried in her hands. Ryan had come down from the cliff, and called an ambulance. She heard bits and pieces of Marissa and Ryan's confused, furious, and concerned conversation, but she wasn't listening. Her eyes had clouded over with tears, smudging her mascara and bringing the ink down along her cheeks as they fell.

She didn't sob, her breath was still trapped in her chest, and she didn't dare move or even make a sound. Nothing else matter at this point. Nothing else, but Johnny.

When she heard the piercing sirens of the ambulance, and saw the blurring red glare of the always-flickering lights, it was then that she finally gave in, kneeling into the soft white sand. Her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably at this point, and her head was throbbing. Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes like a waterfall, dampening her clothing. She didn't even have the energy to wipe away her tears.

She closed her eyes tightly, for a long moment, praying that this was all a terribly vicious nightmare. But she could still hear the blare of the sirens in the back of her mind, and she knew immediately that this was reality.

_This was reality_.

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**A/N**: It looks longer on MSWord, honest. If the content is good, I suppose, does it really matter?

Anyways, I suppose I'll continue this if the reviews are good. I'm really, really looking forward to hearing your feedback, so please post! Thank you. :)


	2. Perfect Situation

**A/N**: Thank you guys, for the awesome reviews! I didn't expect it to be that great, but apparently, it was!

So, here's Chapter Two, as requested. It will be a bit different, but I'll make sure it won't bore you, and I'll split it up if I have to.

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**The Alternative Reality**

Chapter Two

Kaitlin Holly Cooper had never liked hospitals.

She didn't particularly like the medicinal, almost nauseating smell, and she didn't like the feeling of being in a building where so many people were sick, and were possibly dying. But, most of all, she didn't like knowing that she was here because someone she knew, very well, was ill, or injured.

Today, that person was Johnny Harper.

According to the doctors and the paramedics that had taken him from the beach, he was in critical condition, and was now currently in surgery. Why? Well, she honestly didn't know.

The doctors had mainly talked to Ryan and Marissa, since they were nearly three years older than she was. She hated being treated like some little ten-year-old. She was fifteen, as of last week, and she deserved _some _authority, didn't she?

But Kaitlin wasn't really concerned about herself, for possibly the first time in her life. She was concerned about Johnny, so concerned, infact, that unlike Marissa and Ryan, she couldn't sleep, and couldn't possibly think of anything other than him.

The latest issue of _CosmoGirl! _lay open on her lap, but she really wasn't reading it. She fumbled with turning the thin, rippable pages, her hands shaking, even now, after nearly three-and-a-half hours after the accident. She chewed restlessly on her bottom lip, and had been on the brink of dissolving into tears again, quite a few times, but she wouldn't allow herself to.

She was unsure of…everything. Of what to do, what to say, what to ask. She knew practically nothing about Johnny's current state. For all she knew, he could be _dead_, or near it.

The thought disturbed her. She turned uncomfortably in the bumpy hospital chair, turning to look at her sister and Ryan. A pang of jealousy struck her, overpowering her concern and worry for Johnny, but only for a fleeting split-second.

The so-called "inevitable" couple were huddled closely together, Marissa's head resting on Ryan's chest. His arm was around her shoulders, casually - lovingly.

How could they look so peaceful in such a situation?

Sometimes, Kaitlin wondered if in the end, she was the only one who actually cared.

She looked away, not wanting to stare. She leaned further into the uncomfortable cushions of the armchair, letting her head fall back so that her eyes were aligned with the bland, tiled ceiling. Her dark, honey-hued tresses slipped off her shoulders, brushing the side of her face in a teasing fashion. She allowed a soft, exhausted sigh escape her pursed lips, and she closed her eyes, pleading for sleep.

She couldn't take this frustrating suspense any longer. If only she could sleep, and wake up to find out everything was really okay – that this wasn't really the actuality she was forced to face.

"Mr. Atwood, Ms. Cooper, and…Ms. Cooper?"

Kaitlin immediately opened her eyes, sitting up straight once again, staring at the source of the unfamiliar voice.

The European-looking woman before her looked up from a clipboard, her face stern and serious. A frown was pressed to her thin lips, and she made it her personal mission to look each of them right in the eyes.

Kaitlin held her breath, her throat going dry. She was shaking again, and she was blinking back possible tears.

She realized that the woman currently standing before the three was Johnny's surgeon, Dr. Amaizeo, or something of the like. She was too frightened to actually _care_.

"I-is he okay?" Kaitlin asked finally, after a few seconds of silence. Her voice was wavering in worry, almost unsure of itself.

The doctor looked directly at her, too-thinly-trimmed eyebrows arched.

She said nothing.

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**A/N**: A nice cliffhanger for y'all. Sorry it's so choppy, and well, hideously terrible, but I wanted to get it to you guys before Thursday. I might not be able to update for a few days; but I'll make it my personal mission to get the next chapter to you BEFORE Wednesday. It might come earlier, but who knows:)

**Will Johnny be okay?**

**How will Kaitlin deal, either way?**

All of it's coming up in Chapter Three, so stay tuned.


	3. Time of Your Life

**A/N**: I'm sorry, it came quite a bit late. I was hardly able to finish it; I had to split it up. But, here's the first part, so I really hope you enjoy it.

I _did _watch Thursday's episode, and it struck me as inspiring. I'm sorry to all of you Johnny fans - I'll miss him too. But, like I said, I wrote this before Wednesday, I just was unable to update, since my computer was going positively haywire. This **will** be **different** from the **latestepisode**, you can surely guess. :D

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**The Alternative Reality**

Chapter Three

"Yes, Ms. Cooper, he's all right."

Kaitlin felt herself smiling, her chest falling as she breathed a sigh of relief. She could feel the tears in her eyes fall down her cheeks, more from happiness than anything else. In one swift movement, she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

He was okay, he was really _okay_.

"Are we allowed to see him?" Marissa asked quietly, turning Kaitlin's full attention in her direction.

"I'm sorry, but he's still unconscious. He broke a few ribs, fractured his ankle, sprained his wrist, and took a good smack to the forehead."

Kaitlin winced, simply imaging the pain he must be in.

"When he does regain consciousness, we'll let you know." The doctor answered, taking a swift glance down at the chart placed perfectly on the clipboard she was holding, and smiling for the first time. "Hang tight, he'll be awake soon."

She walked away.

Kaitlin turned to her sister, smiling optimistically. "He's okay, 'Riss! I actually thought, just for a minute there, that he was going to…" She trailed off, unable to voice the final word. She didn't want to think about it now; she didn't need to think about it.

Marissa returned the smile, and nodded. "I know, I was thinking the same thing."

Kaitlin moved her gaze to the floor, which she had anxiously attempted to graze with the heel of her Chanel flip-flops. She leaned forward, slightly, resting her elbows on her knees, and holding up her chin with the palm of her hand. Now, she just needed to relax. She wanted to see him, _so badly_, but at the same time knew she was confined in the dreaded waiting room until he awoke from his morphine-induced sleep.

It was then that she realized, if she didn't have some form of heavy caffeine any time soon, she might fall asleep herself, and not be awake for when he was. She straightened her posture, before pulling the magazine off her lap, and placing it onto a coffee table directly beside her. She stood up, finally, pulling down the hem of her shirt over the top of her low-rising jeans.

"Hey, guys, I'm _really _tired, so I'm going to get some coffee, or espresso, or something – I saw a café on the way in. Do you guys want anything?" Kaitlin asked, looking from Marissa to Ryan and back again.

Marissa arched both eyebrows, probably surprised that Kaitlin was thinking of someone other than herself. "Not for me, but…thanks anyways."

Kaitlin nodded, now turning her gaze to Ryan.

"No, but thank you."

Again, Kaitlin nodded, and smiled softly. "I'll be right back then." She answered; picking up her Paul Frank clutch purse and heading off down the hall. As she walked, she passed by a few rooms, every once and a while looking in through the open doors, but looking away just as quickly. She felt bad for the people lying the in the hospital beds, whether they were injured or sick.

She turned a corner, keeping her eyes locked on the overly-sanitized tiles that adorned the cold floor. She didn't want to witness the gloom anymore; she had silent reminders – the sight and scent of the hospital made her mood drop tenfold.

Kaitlin raised her hazel gaze once again, but only when she had reached the Starbucks coffee shop that was located cozily between yet another hallway of rooms, and the tiny registry lobby. She looked up at the chalkboard-menu, picking out her favorite flavor before ordering.

"Hi, can I get an Orange Mocha Frappuccino, please?" She asked, and the cashier nodded, walking behind the counter to find the flavorings, ice and other ingredients to make the overly-caffeinated, yet delectably appetizing drink.

While she was waiting, Kaitlin casually leaned up against the counter, looking towards the lobby for a moment, watching people blandly walk in and out of the revolving glass doors. She become struck with boredom almost instantly, and turned her attention to the hallway to her left, her gaze catching on a particular room, its door painted a dull mauve color, it's numbering printed in gold, reading '118'. A portly-looking nurse walked around in the room, repeatedly asking and responding to questions that seemed to be coming from a young man who was clearly her patient.

The nurse seemed somewhat finished her job, so she exited the room, turning for one final moment, slowly speaking the words, "Let me know if you need anything, Mr. Harper."

Kaitlin's throat tightened once again, but this time in a seemingly good way. She turned back to the clerk, who was just putting a lid on the Frappuccino. Quickly, she pulled a bill from her purse, handing it to the cashier who returned her change, and graciously handed her the drink.

"Have a nice day,"

"Thank you, you too." Kaitlin answered hurriedly, offering a lopsided smile in return. She picked up the drink, and her purse, and walked quickly down the hall towards the room, making sure the nurse had left. Once confirming that the coast was clear, she quietly walked into the room, the ice melting slowly in her hot hand. She adjusted her clutch to sit nicely under her arm, as she slowly circled around the bed.

"Johnny?" She whispered, her breathing quick and almost painful.

Johnny opened his eyes, a soft groan escaping his pastel lips. "Kaitlin," He began, his dark eyes opening more fully now, as he examined her petite figure, his gaze running over every inch, and every curve of her that was visible to him.

She felt slightly insecure as she noticed him paying so close attention to her. She noticed the purple bruise on his forehead, the bandage on his wrist, and the cast on his ankle. "How are you doing?"

"I could be worse," He said, a very vague smile crossing his lips, a soft chuckle escaping his vocals, "But I'm okay, under the circumstances." She noticed, only now, how unrefined and rough his voice sounded, as though he'd just gotten over the flu or a terrible cough.

Kaitlin nodded softly, her head swirling. She looked into his eyes at this point, only to find him looking back at her. He was still smiling, brighter, if possible.

"What're you doing here?"

She looked completely taken aback.

"I mean, why would you wait so long for…me?" He corrected, his voice apologetic.

_Because it pains me to think that I might not ever see you again? Because if I didn't know first-hand of your condition, I'd completely fall to pieces?Because you're my only real friend in Newport? Because you mean the absolute world to me? _

Kaitlin said nothing for a moment. "Just…because."

_**To Be Continued…**_

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**A/N: **I'llstart the next chapter from there, so wait and see. :D


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